To improve your pet’s quality of life and longevity, protect their heart health. These are five ways you can help your pet’s heart. The health of your pet’s heart is crucial to its quality and longevity. Although your pet’s affectionate heart is one of your most treasured possessions, you may not have considered his heart health. Your veterinarian will perform routine wellness visits lab work, but there are other things you can do every day to maintain your dog’s heart health. These tips will help keep your dog heart-healthy.

Researchers found that dog ownership was associated with a 24-percent reduced risk of death from any cause among the general public, and a 33 percent lower risk of death among heart attack survivors who live alone, according to the reports published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Exercise and Diet

A healthy diet is one of the best ways to ensure your pet has a strong and happy heart. Exercise and diet are important factors in maintaining cardiovascular health, just as they are for humans. A healthy pet eats well and exercises regularly. This is good for their heart. A healthy diet will provide the essential nutrients your heart needs to thrive.

Stay up with regular veterinary visits.

For heart health, it is important to have biannual wellness checks. Regular wellness visits are essential for pets’ heart health. Pets age faster than humans, so regular check-ups will help you spot any potential problems. Early detection is the best way to ensure a positive outcome.

The veterinarian can spot problems in the heart during wellness visits.

• Congenital heart disease
• Arrhythmias
• Heartworm disease
• Valvular disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• High blood pressure

Frequent exercise

Getting your dog adequate exercise, including frequent cardiac exercise, helps keep your dog or cat healthy and happy. Consider walking, running, playing, swimming, hiking, or dog-related sports such as flyball and agility.

Protect Your Pet’s Heart Health

Heartworm prevention is important for heart health protection. After being bitten by a mosquito, heartworms can get into the bloodstream of cats and dogs. This can lead to heartworm diseases, which affect the heart and lungs, and could even be fatal. Heartworm disease can be treated in various ways for dogs but not for cats. Treatment can be difficult for your dog. Preventive measures are cheaper than treating heartworms, so speak to your veterinarian to learn more about the best prevention for your pet.

Brush your teeth and gums

Although you might not think of dental care related to your heart health, there is a strong link between them. Infections that begin in the teeth or gums can spread through the bloodstream and adversely affect organs such as the heart. Regular dental care can keep your pet’s heart-healthy and happy. To protect your pet from infection, you can brush their teeth at home in addition to regular veterinary visits.

Protect your pet’s heart health

You know your pet well and can tell when they are sick. You should schedule a veterinary exam if you notice any changes in your pet’s behavior.

These are the most common signs of heart disease:

• Breathing difficulties
• After physical exertion, dry cough
• Consistent, severe coughing
• Trouble breathing
• Rapid weight loss
• Fainting
• Swollen abdomen
• Pale gums